Missing Piece
by WolfyFreedomUnbound
Summary: Chizuru has been with the Shinsengumi for quite sometime now. She has done as much as she could for the men. But it seems she can't crack the code of Okita Souji. Maybe if she tries hard enough she'll finally be able to find a place in his heart.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello readers! Welcome to my new Hakuoki story. This was started a long time ago and now I thought I'd change it a bit and post it. Hopefully it'll turn out well. Hopefully. Anyway, I don't exactly know where I'm leading this story, but since I have a lot of the chapters already written down maybe I can think of something.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hakuoki or any of the art used.**

 **I hope you all enjoy the story. Let's get started.**

* * *

Chapter 1

Chizuru Yukimura down casted her gaze from the scene that laid out in front of her. Blood was splattered from the wooden floor all the way to the paper lined slide doors. The stench of death was violently strong; seeping into Chizuru's senses. Her vision became blurred. She felt herself take a knee then slowly lowered the rest of her body weight to lay on the floor below her. Black began to pool into her vision. The last thing she heard before falling into the dark abyss of unconsciousness was the swear of annoyance behind a familiar voice.

Okita glanced down at Chizuru's unconscious figure and cursed under his breath. A frown crossed his face as he gazed at Chizuru; his usual trademark grin was nowhere close to appearing.

' _Why didn't she leave the room before this all happened?'_ Okita thought to himself in frustration and anger.

Okita was lost in thought before a hand clapped over his bloodstained shoulder. Okita quickly snapped out of his daze and cast a look over his shoulder to find a blood covered Saito staring at him with narrowed eyes. "Souji, we should move Yukimura to a clean room until this one is cleansed and inhabitable," Saito stated this instead in a clear voice. Okita gave a short crud nod in show of his agreement. He turned back toward Chizuru and his mind began to fill with concern. He knew she didn't get hurt during the battle, but he still wanted to give her a once over to approve his certainty that she was uninjured. Okita kneeled beside Chizuru's figure and lifted her slowly into his arms. Okita stood and made his way over to the door to take Chizuru to a clean room.

Saito quickly slid the door open for Okita and silently glanced at Chizuru as Okita carried her out of the bloodstained room. Saito closed the door shut after Okita exited and he turned to examine the room. His eyes drifted over the bloodstains and the dead bodies without a second thought. Saito crossed over to the bodies and removed their swords from their hands. He then let out a sigh and mumbled to himself, "If this is how they are going to act to their craving of blood…how much longer will we be able to control them?"

Okita made his way briskly toward his room to place Chizuru there. He looked down at the young woman and worry again ate at his chest.

' _What are you so worried about idiot? She'll wake up eventually. She's not even hurt, calm down.'_ Okita mentally scolded himself. When he reached his room's familiar setting he extended one of his arms from under Chizuru to slide open his door. Okita walked into his room and knelt down in front of his futon and placed Chizuru on it. He quickly covered her with his thin sheet and tucked her in.

Okita leaned back to look over the woman and his usual grin spread across his face. He was glad she was all right and not harmed. Even though he would never admit to anyone that he actually cared about the condition Chizuru was in. Okita let out a small quite laugh before he stood up and prepared to leave his room. At the door he turned back to look at Chizuru one more time before he went and faced the blood covered room again. He smiled softly then closed his door. He began walking back to Chizuru's room when dread and aggravation struck him as he heard Heisuke's voice of panic. _'Oh, great. Now I have him to deal with.'_

Back in Chizuru's room Saito tried to convince Heisuke from raising his voice any higher than he already was talking. "Heisuke, you should stay quiet. We don't to unnecessarily wake anyone," Saito spoke sternly to Heisuke who fiddled endlessly with his hands nervously. Heisuke raised his head to look at Saito with a sour look. "How do you expect me to stay calm and speak quietly when Chizuru's room is stained with blood?!" Heisuke practically yelled the question at Saito.

"You should really listen to him, Heisuke," Okita's voice came from behind Heisuke who turned quickly to look at Okita. Okita smirked and spoke again, "We don't need panicky people like you in the room making our jobs more difficult." Heisuke frowned at Okita and spoke, "Oi, Souji I'm just concerned about Chizuru." "Well don't be. She's completely fine and sleep; not a scratch anywhere on her," Okita clipped response reassured and calmed Heisuke to an extent. Just as Heisuke was letting his guard down a question popped into his head.

"Wait, Souji how do you know she's asleep," Heisuke questioned Okita. Okita grinned his wicked evil smile and winked at Heisuke. Heisuke's eyes widened and his jaw opened about to pose another question when Saito cut him off. "That's enough you two. We need to clean this room now before it draws any unwanted attention," Saito said this staring at Okita and Heisuke with cold eyes. Okita shrugged and began to help Saito with dead bodies. "Hey, Heisuke change the futon sheets and help clean the floor is you're going to stay here," Okita said to Heisuke before pushing past him with the body between Saito and himself. Heisuke sighed and answered with a nod of his head.

* * *

 **A/N: And that's all for now. I'm sorry if Okita seemed a bit OCish. I'm hoping writing him like this will help me develop his emotions. I hope you all enjoyed this. If you have any comments or opinions just tell me. I'm always happy to see what readers think of my work. I hope to update this story soon. Until then…**

 **~Wolfy Out~**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Greetings readers and viewers! Thank you for reading the next chapter of Missing Piece. I really hope I figure out where this story is heading so it just doesn't turn into a huge bundle of words. Ah…Don't mind my nervous ranting. *sweatdrops***

 **Anyway, I wanted to make a quick note of the dialogue used here and their meanings. Just in case anyone gets confused.**

 **Bold: Author Notes** , _Italics: Thoughts,_ "Quotation Marks": Dialogue

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hakuoki or any of the art.**

 **I hope you enjoy the story readers.**

* * *

Chapter 2

Chizuru's eyes fluttered open slowly and she sleepily gazed at her surroundings. It only took seconds for Chizuru to perceive her settings; with realization her eyes widened in fear. Chizuru immediately sprang to her feet in confusion.

"Wha-, w-where am I," Chizuru stuttered to herself. Then a playful voice called from behind Chizuru, "Oh, wonderful for you to finally wake up Chizuru-chan." Chizuru quickly turned to the owner of the voice, which was none other than a smiling Okita.

"Okita-san, what are you doing here?!" Better yet, where are we?" Chizuru asked Okita as her face flushed a bright red. Of course, this only caused Okita's smile to widen to his wolfish grin.

* * *

Hours Before

Before Chizuru awoke Okita, Saito, and Heisuke cleaned and prepared her room. While cleaning Okita explained to Heisuke that some of their furies escaped the soldiers' housing facility. After they escaped wondered around aimlessly on the lookout for victims to drain them of their blood.

Heisuke listened to all of this while continuously worrying over Chizuru's condition. Okita once again assured her safety, but when Okita mentioned that she was asleep in his room Heisuke's face flushed red and he frowned. This gave Okita a prime opportunity to smile devilishly and tease Heisuke.

But before Okita could even begin a sentence to start his torment of Heisuke he spoke up. "Do you know how the furies found Chizuru," Heisuke questioned Saito and Okita. They were the ones that had eliminated the monsters so they should at least have an idea.

Saito turned to Heisuke and recounted how they rescued Chizuru. "Souji and I were patrolling the grounds when we heard Yukimura's scream, so we immediately rushed to see what had happened," Saito stated emotionlessly. After Saito stated his piece Okita jumped into the fry, "Yeah, when Hajime-kun and I got to Chizuru's room he furies were surrounding her muttering something about blood."

"So obviously Hajime-kun and I had no choice but to kill them, they were too far gone. We had to kill them before they hurt Chizuru-chan," Okita finished the recap. Heisuke seemed satisfied with their responses and they continued to clean the bloodied room.

* * *

Present

As Chizuru tried to hide her blushing she finally discovered where she was. _'…Okita-san's room,'_ Chizuru thought to herself.

Okita looked at Chizuru, his smile still played at his lips. Oh, he just enjoyed making Chizuru all flustered. "So, Chizuru-chan how do you feel?" Okita turned serious when mentioning Chizuru's condition. She unconsciously tilted her head at the question. Chizuru seemed confused at Okita's question; not quite seeing what he meant. "I'm talking about from last night Chizuru-chan. You're not that shook up, are you," Okita asked Chizuru.

Chizuru suddenly remembered everything that had happened thee previous night. Rouge furies broke into her room seeking bloodshed. Unfortunately for Chizuru, she was present when the furies appeared. They drew their swords ready to strike Chizuru when screamed a blood curling scream. Upon hearing Chizuru's scream, Saito and Okita appeared to come to her aid. Chizuru took no damage at all thanks to the two-skilled swordsman and their skill to kill. After Chizuru's room was drenched in the fresh furies blood Chizuru passed out, and then was carried to Okita's clean room.

Recalling what took place the previous night Chizuru answered Okita, "Yes, thank you very much Okita-san." Chizuru bowed deeply to Okita, her face only inches from the floor. She was thanking him for saving her life from certain death the previous night.

Okita looked down at Chizuru as she thanked him. He frowned slightly gazing at Chizuru. _'You shouldn't thank me Chizuru-chan. All I did was the only thing that I'm skilled in.'_ Okita thought to himself emotionlessly.

Chizuru looked up to a frowning Okita. Very unusual. Her eyes widened upon seeing the rare sight. "Uh, Okita-san, is everything okay?" Okita's eyes snapped back to focus and glanced at Chizuru. He mentally kicked himself for allowing himself to show Chizuru his disappointing gaze.

"Oi, yeah, everything's fine Chizuru-chan. I was just wondering about your mental state after last night," Okita quickly covered up his mishap with an inquisitive comeback. Okita plastered a smile on his face to reassure Chizuru. It did the trick in giving her a small comfort.

"Oh, and Chizuru-chan, Saito, Heisuke, and I cleaned your room last night. You should be able to stay in it again." Okita informed Chizuru of the stability of her room.

Chizuru instinctively bowed again to thank Okita for his troubles of helping her. Okita sighed and spoke up, "Come on Chizuru-chan there's no need for all that formalness. We did what had to be done, after all we're the reason the room got bloody anyway." Chizuru quickly snapped her head up to deny Okita's statements. "No, no, Okita if I didn't faint after the fight you and Saito wouldn't have had to clean my room by yourselves," the young woman retorted.

A wicked smile crossed Okita's face. "So, would you have preferred that your room be uncleaned, and continued to stay in my room?" The small woman's eyes widened in shock and he face turned an incredible shade of crimson red. Okita smiled at Chizuru's response and took great pride in his victory.

"Alright, let's go."

The swordsman then suddenly stood up and paced over to Chizuru and grabbed her hand. Chizuru squirmed even more at Okita's touch and began to stutter. "Okita-san, w-what a-are you do-doing?!" Raising the girl to her feet Okita looked down at her and smirked.

"Well you need something to eat Chizuru-chan." Okita was just being playfully now. A tricky and confusing man he was indeed. Not waiting for Chizuru's response Okita pulled her out of his room heading for the dining room.

* * *

 **A/N: And that's all for now! This story will be post pone updates soon because I always need to work, write, and update my other in progress story. But, don't worry! This story will be updated soon.**

 **Thank you all for reading my story. If you have any comments or opinions, please feel free to share them.**

 **~Wolfy Out~**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Greeting readers! I can't tell you how happy I am to see people reading my work. So, thank you all for reading my creation. As always, your opinions are welcomed. Let's get started.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hakuoki.**

 **I hope you all enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 3

Chizuru stumbled a little at first, but then straightened herself up to keep pace with Okita as he pulled her along. Her face burned fiercely at the male's touch. She tried to break his grip on her, but his hand stayed firmly wrapped around her hand.

Chizuru squirmed in a futile attempt to escape Okita; who finally stopped his stride to turn and face the struggling girl.

Okita's forest green eyes narrowed and darkened to a darker hue. Even though Okita's eyes could slice a person in two his smile never wavered. His smile looked like that of a vicious wolf.

Chizuru stopped moving around and shrinked a bit from him.

Okita took in Chizuru's appearance. She seemed scared and withdrew from him. The young man didn't like the idea of the dark brunette distancing herself from him.

Not one bit.

Then Okita tool into consideration that his expression was unexpectedly harsh. His face loosened and his eyes looked down.

"Uh, sorry Chizuru-chan." Okita released the girl's hand and let his own fall to his side. "We should get something to eat," with that Okita spun on his heels and continued down the hallway.

Chizuru blinked in confusion at Okita's sudden change of emotion. _'What was that feeling that crossed his eyes? One second they're harsh and cold, and the next they're humble. Okita-san...'_

Chizuru stood there in confusion. She blinked suddenly remembering where she was. _'Oh, breakfast that's right!'_ She mentally proclaimed in her mind, and then she dashed off down the hall in Okita's direction.

Chizuru tried her best to catch up to Okita, who had already walked most of the hall to the dining room.

By the time Chizuru had closed the distance between them she was breathing rather uneasily.

She took a deep breath to allow oxygen to flow throughout her body. She exhaled and her legs straightened to support her body.

Okita turned to glance over his shoulder at the young woman. He gave a small unheard chuckle at Chizuru's expense.

 _'The small children should stay at their own pace,'_ Okita thought teasingly towards Chizuru. _'You don't belong in this den of wolves, Chizuru.'_ His thoughts took on a more serious and spiteful tone in his mind.

Approaching the dining room Okita and Chizuru could hear rumbling and crashing sounds from inside the room. They didn't even have to open the door to know who it was causing the commotion.

 _'Shinpachi and Heisuke. Typical,'_ the two individuals thought and mentally sighed.

Okita then slid open the door and they both entered the room.

Immediately when the two made their appearance the fighting ceased. Heisuke had his chop sticks hanging on the side of his mouth whole a piece of road duck was caught between two other pair of chopsticks.

Shinpachi had an extra rice ball on his plate, most likely Heisuke's. Both men's eyes were wide and staring at Chizuru and Okita.

Okita let out a sigh and paced over to his usual spot next to Saito and sat down.

Suddenly Heisuke jumped up and bounded over to Chizuru. The girl jumped at the sudden movement. Heisuke circled Chizuru with narrowed eyes looking her over. Chizuru might of took this observation more seriously if Heisuke didn't still have his chopsticks clenched between his teeth.

"Well, you seem fine. But are you really alright?" Heisuke's blue-green eyes gazed at Chizuru in concern.

"Hai, I'm perfectly fine Heisuke-kun," Chizuru said and gave him a short bow. "Thank you for your concern."

Seeming satisfied with Chizuru's answer Heisuke tool hold of her arm and pulled her toward the food.

"Come on Chizuru-chan. You need to eat after all the hectic things last night," Heisuke said smiling brightly.

Chizuru nodded and sat down while Heisuke's attention was drawn back to Shinpachi who had stolen his fish.

"Oi, oi, Shinpachi! Stop that's mine," Heisuke yelled charging toward Shinpachi Held out his forearm to stop Heisuke from grabbing his stolen food.

Shinpachi smirked and bellowed loudly, "Hahaha! Tisk tisk Heisuke, haven't I told you before? Bigger, stronger, and older men need more food! All of this is mine boy!" Throughout Shinpachi's rant the smaller male desperately grabbed at his food.

Okita dismissed the bickering between the two men and began to sip on some sake. Okita didn't make it a habit to drink often, but at this moment he needed something to relieve his stress.

He glanced at Chizuru over the rim of his cup and he felt another sigh coming on. He quickly downed the alcohol to stop himself.

The drink usually gave him a nice cool feeling, but now it went down bitter.

 _'Trying to drink your emotions away? Idiot. That's not very healthy.'_ The teasing voice in the back of his mind mocked him.

The swordsman wanted desperately to roll his eyes at his inner voice, but again it was completely right.

Ever since last night attack Okita was on edge. He even began to think of all the outcomes that could of took place had him and Saito not been patrolling that night.

He could practically see Chizuru's blood run down her walls and the rabid furies licking their swords free of her precious blood. He could also see Chizuru's lifeless body laying forgotten on the floor.

Okita shivered slightly at his dark thoughts.

 _'What do you care for? You only see her as a reason to find her father. We need him not really her. What does it matter if she's hurt?'_

Okita paused at his aggressive inner thoughts. He was letting this affect him too much.

He felt a growl raising in his throat, but just lightly cleared his throat.

' _I don't care. I don't...'_

* * *

 **A/N: And that's all I have for now. I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter. If anyone has any suggestions, opinions, and comments please let me know in the reviews. I hope to update soon. So, stay tuned. Until next time…**

 **~Wolfy Out~**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello readers. Let me just get this out of the way. I am so sorry about this chapter. Not only is it shorter than the others, it's also poorly written. I mean I modified it to an extent, but it just seems butchered. So, I'm so sorry for this chapter.**

 **Hopefully it's even readable to you all. Thank you all for the reads and reviews. They really gave a confidence boost!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hakuoki.**

 **I hope you all enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 4

The day continued as if nothing had changed. Heisuke with the eighth division and Okita with the first went out on their patrols.

Saito filled out paperwork along with Hijikata. Kondou trained excessively with Harada and Shinpachi.

Everything seemed quite normal throughout the day. The actions of the previous night were only occasionally discussed while asking Chizuru of her condition. Aside from in trawling in conversation with the captains, Chizuru attended to her chores.

She cleaned the floors, washed the divisions dirty blues, tended to the flowers she cared for, and began cooking for the captains. As Chizuru busied herself she had completely forgot about the tension she had created not only with Okita, but also the other captains.

It seemed the furies' attack on Chizuru the previous night had made everyone alert and ready for battle.

Chizuru rushed back and forth in the kitchen area preparing the night's meal. She was so concentrated on cooking that she didn't sense Okita's presence at the doorway.

Okita leaned against the door frame watching Chizuru work diligently. He smiled a bit at the woman, but it quickly receded from his face.

 _'What are you doing? Aren't you suppose to stay away from her? If you continue to stay around her she could eventually break you. You know that.'_

Once again Okita's inner voice chimed in to scold him. Okita frowned and turned to leave. Once his back was turned he head a painful hiss from behind.

Okita's head snapped back to Chizuru who held her hand in a vice like grip. Her palm oozed with thick red blood. It took only him a moment to assess the situation.

Chizuru had been cutting vegetables quickly and briskly. She must have lost her focus and cut herself. "Nnngh," Chizuru breathed a painful hiss again. The cut was deep enough to make her wince in pain.

Chizuru was about to wash and bandage her hand when long fingers wrapped around her wrist. Chizuru gasped at the sudden contact and twisted her head up to see the assailant. When her eyes landed onto a familiar face she let out a relieved breath. _'It's only Okita-san.'_

Okita lightly pulled Chizuru's hand toward him so he could examine the severity of the wound. But before he could even attempt this, Chizuru's skin began to heal and connect back to its regular tissue combination.

 _'Of course, she's a demon. Her wound would heal quickly... like a fury.'_ Okita thought in wonder as he observed the woman's now healed hand. Chizuru noticed this as well and tried desperately to pull her hand away from Okita. Okita tightened his grip on Chizuru; his eyes never left her scarless hand.

' _He must be disgusted by me,'_ Chizuru thought to herself in humiliation.

She finally managed to pull away from Okita and rushed immediately to the bear by water pan. Chizuru dipped her hand in the cool water to rid herself of her blood. Okita watched her cautiously. Her movements showed fear of something. Rejection? Shame? Anger?

After the cleansing Chizuru turned and faced Okita. She quickly bowed her head in an apologetic manner, this caused Okita to widen his eyes in surprise.

"Okita-san, I'm sorry for my clumsiness. Please forgive me," Chizuru pleaded with Okita.

After his shock weared off Okita narrowed his eyes watching Chizuru carefully. He was angry. No. He was pissed.

Not at her, not at the fact that she hurt herself; it was the idea that she had to apologize to him. He just couldn't stand for that.

He took a couple long strides over to Chizuru and reached out for her. He placed his fingers under her chin and lifted her face up. He wanted to be eye to eye with her when he told her this. "Don't you even say that, Chizuru-chan. Just don't. There's no reason for it."

Okita's eyes drifted to the side slightly taking his focus from the woman in front of him. _'Dammit... what am I doing?'_ He was letting this get it him way too much. What was happening to him?

Chizuru took in Okita's distant look and was quick to try and brighten his mood. Chizuru plastered a smile on her face and spoke to Okita, "Of course Okita-san. I'm fine, promise."

Okita's eyes snapped back into focus and stared at Chizuru. 'This woman...'

Okita copied Chizuru's lead and smiled as well. "Heh... clumsy kid." Okita patted Chizuru's head affectionately. At least that he didn't have to fake. ...Even if he wanted to.

Trying to shake his emotions he began to ruffle the woman's hair. Chizuru began to blush furiously and tried to escape Okita's onslaught. At her attempts Okita started to laugh with true humor.

The tension built up between Okita and Chizuru was diminished within a few laughs. No matter how much Okita tried to push her away she always found her way back to him. He finally gave up on pushing her away and just welcomed her.

Okita didn't speak this, but it was obvious. His actions spoke for themselves. He stopped avoiding her and treating her as coldly as he had. Chizuru seemed to glow with happiness at his acceptance.

He couldn't deny that he was enjoying her presence either. Her reactions to his teasing were quite satisfying. Why did he ever fight this?

Moments like that almost made them forget about the rising tension that Japan was locked in. Civil war was on the horizon. All things, even good things, meet their end. For some it's worse than others.

* * *

 **A/N: Well…that was terrible. I'm still so sorry to you all for this chapter. Please don't skewer me for this. The next chapter will be longer and better written. So… at least there's that. Heh. Please don't hate me. *sweat drops***

 **If there are any opinions, comments, or suggestions feel free to share them with me.**

 **Until next time…**

 **~Wolfy Out~**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Really sorry for the delay readers. A lot of things have been happening.**

 **Anyways here is chapter 5 of Missing Piece. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 5

War was arising and of course in the Shinsengumi their position in the conflict was to serve the Aizu Domain.

Hijikata, with many responsibilities as the commander of the Shinsengumi, was not seen much by his comrades. Saito helped Hijikata when he was when he was needed, but most of the time he was gathering intel of the approaching war. The other captains continued their daily patrols of Kyoto with Chizuru.

The day the first division were suppose to go on patrol Okita searched to find the young woman to accompany them. He looked all over the complex of the headquarters, but no Chizuru.

Baffled by Chizuru's absence Okita went off to find the other captains. Perhaps they knew where Chizuru was.

Okita entered the common room where most of the captains were present. The only one absent was Saito who was out in the field as a covert spy.

"Hey guys. Do any of you know where Chizuru-chan is?" Okita questioned his group of friends.

Heisuke was the first to respond, "Uh, Chizuru? Mmmm, nope. Can't say I know Souji, sorry." Okita shifted his gaze to Harada.

The red haired spear master stroked his chin thoughtfully, but gave a face of disappointment.

"Sorry Souji, got nothing."

Shinpachi frowned at Okita. Okita obviously had his answer from him as well. The green eyed mam sighed and scratched the back of his head in frustration. Shinpachi talked to him in a teasing tone, "Why are you looking for her? Plan on having a tea party or go out and eat some dango?"

Okita looked at his friend and flashed his trademark grin, "Oh yeah Shin. That's exactly what I planned on doing. Oh, but darn it all! I have patrol now, looks like I'll have to take Chizuru later." The three captains barked with laughter at Okiat's joke.

"So you were gonna take Chizuru-chan on patrol then? That's kinda risky with all of the tension building up in city now," Harada said to Okita. Harada was of course referring to the tension that the war had brought upon the city. It was so thick you could almost feel it weigh you down as you walked through the city.

Okita only shrugged at Harada's valid argument. "Well it was was a risk before. Taking her on patrol now isn't that different," Okita answered his friend. Seeing as how the three captains were not of any use Okita turned to leave. He waved over his shoulder at the group. Heisuke yelled at Okita as he exited, "Goodluck finding Chizuru. Come find me if you need any help."

* * *

 _*timeskip*_

 _'Ugh, Chrizuru where are you?'_ Okita thought this to himself for the hundredth time that day. He had gone on his patrol as usual, but Chizuru never joined him.

When he came back to the headquarters he saw that Hijikata had returned. He decided to take this as an opportunity to ask him of the whereabouts of the missing girl.

"Hey Hijikata-san, do you know where Chizuru might be?"

The demon commander turned around to stare at his younger companion with a blank look.

"No Souji, I don't. I just got back from a meeting with some of the uppermen of the Aizu Domain."

Okita frowned at this. Chizuru had been missing all day long and no one had any information about where she was. Hijikata looked at Okita and took notice of his frown he usually didn't wear.

"What's wrong Souji?"

The man looked down at the wooden floor and spoke, "Chizuru-chan has been missing all day and I can't find her anywhere."

The commander's eyes widened and his voice rose in volume, "What?! Souji what the hell?!" Okita leaned back, trying to avoid his superior's yelling.

"Calm down Hijikata-san."

Okita's words did not have any effect on the older male though. His face was red with anger as he reached out and graded ahold of Okita's hakama. Okita glared at Hijikata with his dark forest green eyes. Hijikata snarled at Okita as he hissed at him, "Souji, we have to find her! If someone were to find her they could torture information out of her. You and I both know she wouldn't be able to hold up against that pain."

Realization finally dawned onto Okita. Chizuru could be in serious danger.

The samurai tore himself away from Hijikata and rushed down the hall. The commander was right behind him as he ran. They needed to gather as many clues as possible as to where Chizuru could be.

All of the captains gathered together in the common room to discuss their search of the missing girl. They decided on different areas around Kyoto that they would search for Chizuru.

Shinpachi was assigned to search the center of the city. Heisuke was told to take the eastern part of the city. Harada had the north and Saito the west. Hijikata stayed at the headquarters in case the woman made her appearance there. Okita was to scour the southern part of Kyoto.

He rushed to the south part of the city looking all over as he ran.

 _'Chizuru, where the hell are you?'_

Panic began to take over the young samurai. He raged through Kyoto calling Chizuru's name. He searched every alley he came by. But no hope turned up for him. Okita was about to lose hope when he came a across a small red bridge that crossed a tiny creek.

He let out a weary sigh and lowered his head against the hard wood.

 _'Worthless! You can't even look out for a young, innocent girl.'_

Okita was mentally scolding himself when a small sound reached his ears. He snatched his head up and perked his ears for any sound. Soon enough a rustling sound came from under the bridge.

The samurai slowly made his way downward to look under the bridge. He inched his head ever so slightly to look around the border of the wood. The sight that greeted him utterly amazed him.

Under the bridge laid the young girl that had caused all his concern and worry. He no longer moved slowly. He rushed towards her figure.

Chizuru laid on the soft green grass of the ground and was sleeping peacefully.

Okiat kneeled in front of the girl's body and checked her for injuries. When he confirmed she was unharmed he leaned over her and spoke her name.

"Chizuru-chan, hey Chizuru-chan wake up."

She hummed in her sleep at Okita's familiar voice. Okita smiled down at her and leaned further down and whispered in her ear, "Shh, it's okay. I'm here." He seemed to be reassuring himself more than anything.

He pulled back into into a sitting position to observe Chizuru at a safe but manageable distance. He watched her silently for a while. Just watching over her.

She seemed to be dreaming considering how ever so often she smiled softly. The brunett found himself smiling at her sleeping form. Eventually he could no longer just sit there. They had to get back to the headquarters.

The young man easily raised Chizuru up into his arms. She stirred slightly. Her head was then pressed against Okita's chest. With Chizuru's warmth press against his body Okita smiled. He began to walk back to the Shinsengumi's base.

When he arrived Okita was greeted with the faces of his friends. At first they all wore faces of disappointment and concern. That was until they saw Chizuru begin carried by Okita.

They were about to start asking questions, but Okiat cut them all off with a sharp glance. They all fell silent from his gaze. They allowed him to pass by without speaking a word.

The green eyed man carried Chizuru to her room and laid her down on her futon. Once Okita had placed the girl down he smiled softly at her.

"Well we're back to where we started Chizuru-chan. First I carried you to my room and now your room. Funny how that worked out, huh?"

The man then let out a tired yawn, but he desperately tried to fight his fatigue. It proved too much though. He was thoroughly exhausted. It had been a very trying day. All he wanted to do now was sleep. Okita allowed his body to slide to the floor next to Chizuru's figure. His guard was now down. His eyes were extremely heavy. The darkness of rest then enveloped him.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry about the distant update readers. I hope this chapter makes up for it.**

 **So Christmas is in a few days. So I wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Please stay safe and have fun these holidays.**

 **Until next time...**

 **~Wolfy Out~**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The demon lashed out. It destroyed everyone and everything in it's path.

A silver sword was etched into it's hand. It drew the blood of every single solitary thing that it came across.

Humans fell to the demon one by one.

These humans had committed a great crime against the demon. In order to take revenge the demon decided to murder those that wronged it. The ultimate price would be payed for their misdeeds.

But the crime these humans were accused of committing were not viewed in the same light as the demon had concluded. Others would not of acted so rashly as the demon had.

The humans went against the wishes and desires of the person that the demon loved the most.

 _'Kondou-san...'_

That was the name that rang throughout the demon's head as he slaughtered the humans. The demon only lived to please Kondou. He was the entire reason the demon had come so far through it's life.

 _'Kill. Kill all of those that stand against Kondou-san.'_

The demon silently egged itself onward.

 _'Don't worry Kondou-san. I will help push you to the top. I will not rest until you have achieved the status that you deserve.'_

The demon felt nothing as it cut through it's opponents. There was no sympathy nor anger directed at the victims.

 _'I am only a tool. A tool of murder. My only purpose in life is to further Kondou-san.'_

A mantra the demon had repeated so many times rang in it's mind.

 _'Other than that I am worthless. No one else needs me.'_

"You're wrong Okita-san."

A sweet voice rang out around the demon. The demon ceased it's attacks on the humans. Once the violent onslaught stopped the humans simply vanished without a trace. It was as if they were never there. No blood nor bodies were scattered about to show proof of the demon's attack.

The demon looked around for the source of the voice that called out to it.

 _'Okita... That's my name. I have a name.'_

The dark world that surrounded the demon seemed to brighten up at his deduction.

 _'I'm not the demon. I'm Souji Okita.'_

Okita made this realization with keen interest. The voice had called him by his name. Okita twisted his head around searching for the source of the voice that had called out to him. The sweet, caring voice had snapped him out of his furious, murderous state.

"Who's there? Who are you? How do you know me?"

Okita spoke out to the invisible voice. He then added in a mutter, "What do you mean?" He wasn't quite sure he truly wanted to find out what the voice meant.

A giggle came from the blackness that surrounded Okita. He tensed at the sound. It probed at his mind. It was a familiar sound. He then began to hear light footsteps approach him.

A figure emerged out of the darkness to stand in front of Okita. Light seemed to emit from the figure. The light engulfed the air around the figure and therefore Okita himself. The light allowed him to make out who the figure was.

"Chizuru..."

The white figure took shape. A round innocent face with big honey brown eyes appeared. She had her dark brown hair down so it cascaded over her shoulders and stretched half way down her back. Her small frame covered by a solid white kimono. Her small feet were bare footed. The girl finally looked up to Okita's wide forest green eyes.

"Hi Okita-san."

Chizuru's voice caused the man in question to shiver. Her voice was like silk to him. The young woman smiled brightly at Okita and reached out her hand for him. The samurai eyes fell on Chizuru's out stretched hand, trying to process what he should do.

Glancing back at Chizuru's face he was reassured by her dazzling smile. He finally reached out for her hand.

When his fingers touched her skin he suddenly became well aware how much his hand oversized Chizuru's small, fragile looking hands. The second thing he noticed was how soft her skin was against his rougher toned skin.

Okita only focused on that sensation.

It seemed to hold him together. He closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath. He felt something soft caress his cheek. Then warmth wrapped around his entire being.

He slowly opened his eyes. He found Chizuru very close to him now. She had her free hand laid gently against his cheek.

Chizuru smiled sweetly and spoke in a soft tone, "You are Okita Souji. You fight for Kondou-san, but you are not just a weapon. You are so much more. You will not be forgotten when your work is done. You are far more important to ever be forgotten. You're Okita-san, a great man, a gifted swordsman, and I believe in you, Souji."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Okita opened his eyes slowly. Soft morning light touched his face. He blinked trying to make out his surroundings. He finally remembered that he had passed out due to exhaustion in Chizuru's room after the previous night's missing case scenario.

He looked around the room still in a dreamy daze. He was searching for any remnants of his dreams.

 _'Only a dream. But why was Chizuru-chan there?'_

Okita thought this silently to himself. He glanced over at Chizuru's futon that was a short distance away and he frowned. She was still sleeping soundly and apparently quite soundly by the looks of it. Her face was peaceful. Maybe she was enjoying a pleasant dream.

"Chizuru-chan, seriously, you've been sleeping for the longest time. Wake up already." Okita spoke to the sleeping girl in a quiet voice.

He was just about to reach over and wake her when an idea struck him. With a sly grin on his face Okita thought to himself, _'Heh, this oughta be fun.'_

The samurai slid close to Chizuru's sleeping for, leaving almost no space between their bodies. Okita's grin was as close to evil as it could be. He mentally chuckled to himself at the close proximity between himself and Chizuru. Slowly he draped his arm over Chizuru to rest around her waist lazily.

Still smirking Okita settled next to Chizuru and closed his eyes. Might as well rest some more before she woke and the day really started. At least in this position Okita would surely be graced with a embarrassed Chizuru upon his second awakening.

Before his consciousness faded into blissful sleep he thought to himself, _'I could actually get used to this.'_ Sleep then overtook Okita's body. Soon his breaths became steady and quiet as a sign of his slumber.

* * *

Chizuru sat in a wide open field that occupied many wildflowers. The sun shined brightly down on the earth giving off a pleasant heat.

Chizuru looked around the field and discovered that she was alone. A gentle breeze came and slightly blew her hair from her face. She closed her eyes to bathe in the serenity.

A smile formed on the young woman's face. _'This feels great.'_ She opened her eyes to once again take in the scene before her. _'So peaceful.'_

The flowers danced as the wind caressed them. It looked like a sea of multicolored waves rolling. Chizuru inhaled a deep breath and exhaled in bliss.

While she was so keenly focused on the peace that surrounded her a figure emerged from the treeline in the distance. Once Chizuru finally took note that someone or something was approaching her body tensed slightly. This figure was disturbing the peace.

As the figured continued to approach Chizuru could make out that it was most certainly a man. She took time to observe the man's features. Long brown hair tired into a messy top knot at the back, tall, lean but muscular, and most noticeable were the soul piercing forest green eyes.

Once Chizuru saw the man's eyes she knew immediately who he was.

"Okita-san," Chizuru spoke the man's name in a dazed tone. As the man neared Chizuru he stopped and looked down at her as she sat on the ground. A smile fluttered across Okita's face, "Chizuru-chan."

The smile faded and was replaced by the samurai's trademark smirk. Okita's green eyes looked around the blossoming field.

"So this is what you dream about? Huh, well I guess it's pretty accurate for a girl like you."

Okita's eyes then looked back down at Chizuru's to catch her cheeks dust with a red blush. He chuckled to himself then invited himself to sit next to Chizuru.

Chizuru to tried in vain to question Okita's observation. "W-what is that suppose to mean, Okita-san?" The young girl stammered out, her face still red.

Lazily Okita dragged his mischievous eyes over to Chizuru and smirked yet again, "Hmm, so absent minded."

"Okita-san!"

The brunette could no longer hold his laughter. He busted into a hearty laugh at poor Chizuru's expense. Unfortunately, Chizuru wasn't amused.

She puffed her cheeks out and slightly pursed her lips together in a pout. Okita was certain she made that expression without even trying. He shook his head as his laughter died down.

He placed one of his hands on top of Chizuru's head and attempted to make his face appear as sympathetic as he could. "Come on Chizuru-chan. I'm just kidding, you know I just like to see you squirm."

The darker buruntte snapped her dark orbs toward Okita and tried her best to glare at him. Of course her attempt had no intimidation effect on the samurai at all. He only continued to smile at her.

Chizuru sighed, giving up on her attempts to scold Okita. They would just be futile anyway. "Why are you here Okita-san?"

"Ah, right." With that Okita dropped his hand from the girl's head. His playful disposition now gone. Left was a rare sight of Okita's serious face. Whatever he was going to say was not meant to be taken lightly.

"Why did you run away Chizuru-chan?"

At the question Chizuru's honey brown eyes widened. Before she could respond Okita turned his gaze away from her and looked out toward the field. Chizuru drew her attention to the field as well to see what had captured Okita's attention.

The scenery that Chizuru remembered was now gone. The once clear skies were now dark and lined with black clouds. The wind had begun to pick up and grow more violent. The wildflowers shook in terror at the harsh atmosphere. No longer was it the gentle calming scene that had greeted Chizuru before.

Okita looked over at Chizuru to see her startled face at the change of the peaceful meadow. He reached out and touched Chizuru's shoulder to gather her attention.

"Hey, don't worry. Nothing's going to happen to you," Okita gently reassured the panicked girl.

Chizuru turned back to Okita realizing that she was allowing herself to involuntarily panic. She needed to calm down. She gave him a weak smile in an attempt to respond to his comfort. His response was well worth it though.

He gave her a gentle smile. He didn't seem fazed in the slightest by the change of weather. He was as calm as he always was. As a matter of fact he seemed to only be focused on one thing. "So why did you run away?"

He sure was persistent. Especially under the circumstances.

Chizuru lowered her eyes in a shameful look. Her reassured demeanor was gone once again. "I caused trouble didn't I?"

Okita let out a sigh and leaned back on his hands. His eyes flickered up to the dark sky. "You know we're all just worried about you. Just come back so this can all go away."

Chizuru shook her head fiercely, "I want to Okita-san. But it's not that simple."

An annoyed look crossed the samurai's face. He wasn't happy with her response. The wind around them swirled more violently causing their hair to ruffle.

Okita had had enough. In a firm, but not unfriendly tone he spoke to Chizuru, "Chizuru-chan you need to wake up now. You need to come back." He fell silently for a moment before adding more softly, "You need to come back home."

Chizuru's head snapped up at that word. _'Home.'_ The young woman looked over at her companion, but saw nothing. Okita had seemingly disappeared.

Her heart beat increased with panic. She was all alone now.

"Okita-san?"

Her head whirled around searching the meadow for the man, but found no sign of him. All that greeted her was darkness. Wind lashed out at her as dark clouds moved rapidly across the sky. Fear coursed through her at the sudden danger she faced. The elements would not be merciful towards her.

She shakily rose to her feet and faced the trees. She could take cover there from the storm if she was fast enough. She dashed for the tree line, but it all proved futile as a heavy rain began to pound down onto her body.

Lighting cracked across the sky and thunder roared loudly. Overtook by the ferocity of the storm Chizuru stumbled and landed hard on the wet ground.

She curled in on herself as rain continued to assult her. Chizuru trembled in fear. In a weak voice she whimpered the name she wished would appear to save her from the horrible turmoil, "Okita-san..."

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! If there's any comments please feel free to comment.**

 **Did I lay the dream on to thick? Maybe so.**

 **Until next time...**

 **~Wolfy Out~**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Chizuru's eyes opened quickly and her breath came rapid as she sat up. She clutched he chest in an attempt to calm her racing heart. With wide eyes she looked around at her surroundings frantically.

 _'Where? Wait! This is my room. How did-?'_

"Hgn...mmm..."

A tired sound startled Chizuru out of her panicked thoughts. She turned around to find the source of the voice. To her surprise she found a sleeping Okita nestled besides her. The young woman's eyes widened exponentially. Her face began to burn a bright red as she observed the sleeping man's form.

Finally she took notice of a strong arm wrapped around her waist. If it were even possible her face drew an even darker hue. Her embarrassment continued to sky rocket.

Okita hummed irritatedly as he felt his sleeping partner jerk her body upwards so suddenly. Her movements had awakened him from his peaceful slumber. Luckily even though she moved so suddenly his arm remained wrapped around her.

Frowning he cracked open an eye to look at the woman he held. When he saw her embarrassed expression his face broke put into his trademark smirk. He opened his other eye to take in her full dark hued face. She certainly did not disappoint.

Her doe eyes were widened considerably and her whole face flushed with red. He always enjoyed that look on her face. He thought he'd never grow tired of seeing it. It was addictive to tease her and be rewarded with her over the top reactions.

He dediced he had tortured the poor girl enough for now and removed his arm from around her waist. Okita leaned down slightly and rested his chin on his open palm. Chizuru was speechless as the samurai watched her with a smug look.

"Good morning, Chizuru-chan. Sleep well?" Okita inquired with a teasing tone directed at the girl.

Chizuru recovered surprising quickly from the subjecting Okita was directing at her. She needed answers. This was no time for Okita's playfulness. She pursed her lips together and immediately started questioning Okita.

"Okita-san, what are you doing here? Why am I here? I don't remember anything."

At her serious tone Okita's smirk dropped. It wasn't a typical thing for Chizuru to be so serious. Especially when he was teasing her. Needless to say he didn't enjoy it. But he knew she needed answers just as he did. Sighing he decided it was time for them to lay everything on the table.

"Yesterday you went missing and we all went looking for you. I found you under that bridge, asleep, and I brought you back here." Okita explained the events that had caused such stressed the previous day. He did leave out his reasoning for sleeping in the same room as her though. Neglecting also the fact that they were so closely knitted together while slumbering.

Chizuru listened intensively and nodded as he spoke. When Okita finished speaking Chizuru leaned back putting distance between the two of them and examined him. She noticed the couple details he had left out about their proximity was left unanswered.

But before she could even began to question that the sly young man quickly tool hold of the conversation. Okita straightened himself into a sitting position and stared at the girl before him. It was his turn to ask the questions.

"Now, you should tell me why it is you ran off yesterday. Don't you remember? If you try to escape us we'll have to kill you. Whether we want to or not."

Despite his harsh words Okita was desperately trying to show Chizuru sympathy. It was the rules Hijikata had placed when the Shinsengumi promised to protect her. If she ran she died. It was simple. She had been reminded of that many times. Especially by him and his lack luster threats. He didn't want to hurt her. He had grown fond of her. Even though he'd never admit it to anyone. He needed her to know the circumstances she had put herself in.

Chizuru's face fell when she heard Okita once again restate the Shinsengumi's resolve and duty to end her life if necessary. After her time spent with the captains she doubted any of them would actually hurt her, but the rules still remained. The men she had grown to know still had their orders. And she hated it.

Okita sighed wearily at the sight of Chizuru's distraught expression. He dropped his serious tone and spoke to her with empathy, "Look, you should explain yourself." He despised that hopeless look on her face. She was a bright and shining light. And yet now she looked exactly like when they first brought her to the headquarters.

Afraid. Expect now there was a hint of betrayal in her dark honey eyes.

He needed to hear her side of the story. He knew she'd never abandon the Shinsengumi. She saw them a family now. He felt horrible for stating that her death was right in front of her if she escaped. But it was necessary to remind her.

Chizuru dropped her gaze to the floor and explained her disappearance with a stiff and unemotional tone. "I noticed how hard all the captains have been working lately to try and keep the peace in Kyoto. I know things must be hectic considering the possibility of war. So to try and thank you all I wanted to make a special meal for everyone. Early yesterday morning I left in secret to get the ingredients I needed for the meal.

"While in the city some Choshu ronion started to cause trouble. They were harassing young women and children. I couldn't just stand by and let that happen. Once I stepped in they turned on me. I fled and his from them. I heard the search for me for a while. I must of dozed of after so long. That's all I remember."

As Chizuru finished speaking she glanced up to gauge Okita's reaction. He stared at her blankly for several moments before he let out an needy laugh. His eyes looked down at Chizuru and were filled with mixed emotions. Admiration, worry, relief, and regret.

When Chizuru notice this she bowed so low her face was mere centimeters from the wooden floor. "Okita-san I am so so so sorry for the trouble I caused."

Okita blinked in surprise at Chizuru's sudden apology. She had nothing apologize for. She was only trying to do something to thank them for their work. She even went a step further and stood up for the innocent. As Okita thought about it more he kept coming to the conclusion that this woman was amazing. So strong and yet caring. She couldn't be better.

Without any hesitation Okita reached out and tugged Chizuru's small shoulder encouraging her to look up at him. The dark brunette's eyes were wide as she rose to a sitting position.

The smile that Okita gave her was warm nothing like the teasing smirks she was used to. He placed a warm gentle hand on Chizuru's head and ruffled her soft hair.

"Chizuru-chan, you're really reckless you know that?" Okita's voice was soft and had a lift to it that Chizuru never heard. His soft laughter rang in her ears. These rare times of Okita's kindness should be savored.

Chizuru's mouth opened and closed searching for the right words. Before she could though the green eyed man spoke again. "Don't worry about it. Your heart was in the right place. Even though you left the headquarters I'm sure even Hijikata-san will give you a pass. I'll vouch for you."

With that he stood up and quickly departed from the room. Leaving a star struck Chizuru in his wake.

 _'I'm sorry for threatening you again, Chizuru-chan.'_ With a sad smile on his face Okita made his way to the common room.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Soon after the discussion of Chizuru's disappearance it was decided by Hijikata that she would go unpunished. Well mostly unpunished.

The vice commander did request her presence to avoid and lecture her. Of course, for Chizuru it had the same effect as if he had physical punished her. With her head bowed low to the floor she pleaded for his forgiveness.

After Hijikata was satisfied with his verbal punishment he dismissed Chizuru to her daily chores.

Chizuru worked vigorously to try and make up for the inconvenience she had caused the previous day. She refused to take any breaks and tried to avoid any of the captains. She was afraid that they would scold her just as Hijikata did.

She knew all the men were truly good hearted, but she couldn't stand the idea that they might resent her for her actions. She even avoided Okita who had vouched to Hijikata on her behalf. Despite the fact Okita had reasurred her that everything was alright she just couldn't shake her self loathing attitude of being a nuisance to him.

She managed to distance herself from all the captains that day. Even when it was time for dinner she denied the need to eat. Just to avoid everyone. While most of the captains were concerned about Chizuru's repression and previous actions of the other day they respected her wishes and left her to her own dealings. Perhaps she just wanted some space. That was a common thing among women.

Except, Okita wasn't swayed by that notion. After all this time Okita knew Chizuru well enough to know this wasn't a normal occurrence. She hadn't been confronted all day. And she denied dinner. He knew something was up. And he intended to find out what.

As night came and the captains retired to their rooms Okita was plotting. When he was sure everyone else was asleep the young man departed from his room. As he crept down the hallway his footsteps were silent. No one was aware of what was happening.

Soon he reached his destination and stopped to listen in on the resident of the room. Chizuru.

Once he heard nothing he knew the coast was clear. He knew this was his opportunity so he quickly and silently slide the door open to step inside. The moonlight slipped through the open door and Okita could make out Chizuru's sleeping form. With a smirk Okita quietly slid the door shut behind him and looked down at the young woman.

"Avoiding me wasn't a wise idea, Chizuru-chan."

Even though now the room was enveloped in darkness it did not hinder Okita. His eyes adapted quickly to the darkness. He continued to stare down at the sleeping Chizuru. He wasn't happy at all. This was the same woman who had avoided him all day long. Even after their morning conversation.

He thought they understood each other better than that. Better than to block each other out. And that was coming from the man who had some of the most trust issues possible.

Okita contemplated how he should handle the situation now that he had come this far. He took a step closer to Chizuru and his smirk slipped to a gentle smile as he observed her peaceful sleeping face. She always seemed to bring a genuine smile out of him. The only other person to be successful in that was Kondou.

Okita mentally chided himself, _'Damn woman. Making me soft.'_

But he couldn't really complain. He had always found her interesting and captivating; even in the earliest days of her appearance. He'd never admit it, but he greatly enjoyed Chizuru's presence. She seemed to give him more purpose than just killing.

She showed him there was more to life. That he could actually enjoy it and take pride in more than just his ability to kill.

The samurai lowered himself to a sitting position in front of Chizuru. Every idea he had had to tease her vanished as he intently looked at Chizuru's sleeping face. On several occasions he had seen her sleep, but now he took the time to fully observe her.

He noticed how her breath was even. Her eyelashes were long and delicate. Her skin was softly pale, hair dark and silky, and... lips full and soft looking.

 _'No, Souji! Snap out of it. Remember you don't care... you don't care. You don't.'_

It was easy to tell himself that, but he knew it wasn't true. Okita was no fool. He was aware that he held deep feelings for Chizuru, but of course he buried those emotions deep and refused to acknowledge them. At least that's what he tried to do.

He couldn't offer her anything. If only she'd made it easier and take his harsh remarks to heart and leave him be. Neither of them would be where they were now if it had played out that way.

Okita smiled softly at Chizuru. "Chizuru... what have you done to me?"

He couldn't deny the answer. He already knew it. He had fallen. Fallen for the naive and yet steadfast Chizuru. Despite his efforts he couldn't stop his feelings. Truly he had fallen.

With a shake of his head Okita smiled to himself and thought, _'If I've fallen I might as well be caught.'_

* * *

 **A/N: So how many of your cringed through this chapter? Just so you all know that last sentence has haunted me for years. And now it's finally here. Thank goodness.**

 **I had to revise this chapter a good bit because it was super short. I hope what I added was an improvement to the earlier version I had on paper.**

 **I really hoped you all enjoyed the chapter. Let me know what you thought!**

 **Until next time...**

 **~Wolfy Out~**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Okita didn't make a move to advance on Chizuru. He just simply stared at her in wonder. Thoughts of teasing things he could do to her crossed his mind, but still he did nothing.

He smiled again and finally decided what he would do. Of course it was risky, but Okita had never feared the risks that he had taken before so why start now. He brought his hand up and slowly moved it towards Chizuru. His fingers reached out seeking to make contact with Chizuru's soft cheek.

Once his fingers touched Chizuru's cheek he could had sworn his heart stopped beating. His actions were feather soft and didn't stir Chizuru out of her peaceful sleep, but they had a tremendous effect on Okita. As his fingers lightly brushed her skin the only thought that went through Okita's head was that her skin was a fragile and soft as it appeared.

 _'Oh, I hope I don't regret this.'_

Okita finally laid his entire hand onto Chizuru's skin. He continued to lightly stroke his thumb over her cheek again and again. Her rythmatic breathing ceased at the samurai's actions. The change was noticed instantly by Okita and his antics stopped. Carefully Okita's dark green eyes observed Chizuru and awaited her reaction.

Once his movements had stopped Chizuru's breathing resumed. Okita waited a few minutes to make sure the coast was clear before continuing his earlier maneuvers. As he started yet again thumbing her soft skin she didn't react at all this time.

This gave Okita the confidence he needed to advance his idea.

The young man brought his other hand up and slowly laced it through Chizuru's dark, loose hair. Her hair was silky just as he thought it would be. While continuing his slow actions he berated himself for never acting on his instincts and impulses beforehand.

Nothing was stopping him now.

The only thing that could stop him would be Chizuru pushing him away. Rejecting him. The thought caused an ache to shock through Okita's chest.

He was almost certain she felt the same way. He was no fool. He had observed and became aware of her affection for him for quite some time now. She was always so caring and willing to do anything for him.

While that courtesy might also be extended to the rest of the Shinsengumi it didn't have the same meaning behind the actions. Chizuru had become apart of the Shinsengumi. She was like family to all the leaders. They held adoration for the young determined woman, but it wasn't what Okita felt for her.

It was clear now he was in love with Chizuru. There was no denying it now.

For several minutes Okita was content with just barley touching her. He was processing the concept that he was in love. The feelings it stirred in him.

A feeling such as love was not something the young man ever thought he was capable of. This was the man who thought his only purpose in life was to kill. And he was damn well good at his job. But that man had fallen in love with Chizuru Yukimura of all people. It was truly baffling.

Okita was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he didn't notice Chizuru stirring awake.

Chizuru's eyes blinked sleepily as she awoke and she slowly began to take in her surroundings. The first thing she acutely became aware of where soft touches over her cheek and gentle strokes through her hair.

For a moment she thought she was being attacked, but the gentleness of the touches told her panic otherwise. The soft touches ensured that they meant her no harm. But once that thought felt her mind she also noticed that the touches were filled with love and affection.

This caused a whole new form of panic within the woman.

He eyes began to focus and adjust to the darkness of the room to found out who exactly was touching her. She couldn't even think who would do anything like this so when her eyes zeroed on the culprit her heart jumped into her throat.

 _'Okita-san...'_

Okita had still yet notice the young woman had awakened. Which meant his guard wasn't up. This was a rare opportunity to see a side of Okita almost never seen before.

Gentleness.

The smile that crossed his face wasn't his usual smile. It was soft and loving. His green eyes were not sharp and cutting as they usually were. No, now they held an emotion that Chizuru had only ever seen Okita express when he talked to Kondou. Adoration and care.

It almost seemed like a shame to ruin the peaceful look on his face, but Chizuru wanted answers.

"Okita-san," Chizuru's voice broke through the silence of the room. Despite the fact that she had barley whispered his name it was like she had just broke a vase loudly onto the floor.

Immediately upon hearing the quiet whisper of his name being spoken his movements froze. His eyes darted to Chizuru's and caught her confused and baffled stare. When their eyes met he had to take a deep breath to steady himself. His previous peaceful look was now replace by a look that was akin to that of a child caught in the act of stealing something.

He blinked owlishly and the suddenly the old Okita was back. He flashed Chizuru his trademark smile and with a playful voice said, "Hey Chizuru-chan. Sleep well?" He asked the question so blatantly it was as if he didn't register that he had sneaked into her room and touched her unabashedly.

Chizuru's honey brown eyes widened in shock at his question, but soon followed in suit with her usual reaction to Okita teasing her. Her face flushed and she broke eye contact with him. It was no surprised what she said to him either. "Okita-san, don't tease me."

Okita chuckled but refused to put any further distance between them. He had come this far and he was going to see his mission through to the end. He was a master at teasing Chizuru and just generally pushing other's buttons so he would put those skills to good use.

The hand that had stroked Chizuru's hair was shifted to slid to the back of her head in a swift motion. The other hand left her cheek to cup her chin and lightly pull her head up to look Okita in the eye yet again.

"Hey, come on now. No need to act like that." Okita's wolfish grin was replaced with a smaller grin that held more tenderness. But this nothing to stop Chizuru's embarrassment.

The crimson only deepened on her pale skin. Her eyes were wide and clear. She couldn't pull her eyes from the young man's forest green eyes. And she couldn't escape either. Her reaction system had thoroughly shut down.

She was at his essence.

Chizuru couldn't even process what was happening. Okita was flooding far too many of her senses for her to think clearly. It was all too much. He had never taken his teasing to this extent.

Only one thing was clear. The small distance between he and Okita was bothersome. If only she could close the distance between them.

It seemed the close proximity had a similar effect on Okita as well because his green eyes had glazed over. He didn't even register that he was slowly closing the distance between them until only a few centimeters separated them. His mind processed what it was he was going to do and for once in his life he was uncertain.

"Is this alright?"

Chizuru didn't want to think about why he was here. What had made him invade her person space. She just wanted him now.

She was well aware of the feeling she had developed for Okita and how they had varied from those she had for the other men. She saw them as family. Brothers. Guardians. But Okita was different. He always was. And now, she had the opportunity to explore those feelings she had for him.

Without speaking she nodded her head. That was all Okita needed before taking her lips.

The kiss between the two of them lasted for several moments before Okita pulled away. Opening his eyes he instantly noticed his partner had yet to open hers. She just made it too easy for him. "You look like you're waiting for more," he said with a smirk on his lips.

That was all it took for Chizuru to snap out of her daze. Her eyes opened wide and her mouth moved silently trying to voice her thoughts, but like usual, failed. Okita shoulders shook with silent laughter. The samurai leaned back onto his hands to watch Chizuru as she continue to fumble for the right words.

A devilish smile adorned his face as he watched the poor flustered girl. He couldn't stop the pride that swelled in him for the advances he had taken. They had payed off.

Eventually Chizuru stopped stumbling over non-spoken words and tried her best to mustered a glare at the young man seated across from her.

"Okita-san please stop teasing me! It's not fair! What are you even doing here?!"

Of course now she asked why Okita had come to her in the middle of the night. Not why he had kissed her. Okita didn't seemed fazed in the slightest though. His grin only widened and he took the opportunity to further his advances on the poor girl.

He crept closer to her and maintained his teasing tone as he spoke. "Are you saying you didn't enjoy that Chi-zu-ru-chan?" He spoke every syllable of Chizuru's name in a singsong voice.

Now Chizuru's defense systems came back to her tenfold. She leaned away from the close man and tried her best to put as much distance between them as possible.

"Uh, w-well no. I-I mean uh yes. No," Chizuru stumbled over her words as she tried to keep from further embarrassing herself. It was clear though that she was extremely shy at the question. Of course she enjoyed the kiss, but it wasn't like she could confess that to Okita. He would only tease her more.

Okita wasn't having her escape attempt though. He wanted a straight answer. He reached out and took of her to prevent her from getting away. He came closer again and asked once more, "Chizuru, did you like the kiss?" Now wasn't the time to tease her. He wanted to know the truth. He needed it.

Chizuru bowed her head and gave a sheepish nod. It was clear Okita was being serious right now. She needed to be honest as well. The kiss was soft, gentle, caring, and full of unspoken emotion.

Okita reached out and cupped her cheek. "Can I do it again?" His question was completely innocent, but demanded to be answered. Chizuru was stunned at his unhidden emotions and conviction. Without much thought she nodded her head again.

He lifted her face up towards his and placed his lips firmly over hers for the second time that night. Chizuru's arms snaked around his neck and held him close and Okita's hands held Chizuru close to him.

It seemed he had succeeded in his plans for the night. Even if the course had changed slightly. This was a much better alternative than teasing Chizuru.

* * *

 **A/N: ...So um...fluff uh? I feel sick to my stomach writing this. I like ships, but I must say... I really suck at writing them.**

 **Also I believe this is how I will end this story. With fluff.**

 **I'm not quite sure where I was going with this story when I first wrote it, but I guess my goal to finish it has been achieved. There's not much more I can add here. Not without complicating it. So I think that's all.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed my story.**

 **Fell free to share your comments.**

 **Until next time...**

 **~Wolfy Out~**


End file.
